KINGSTON, Jamaica— The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was a central focus point in last night’s political debate, featuring in a significant number of questions and answers.  In fact, both leaders at the end of the debate, at the invitation of the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC), spoke to the nation about it. 

The leaders were at one in calling on Jamaicans to be responsible and take the recommended public health precautions on election day, and always, to help the country beat the pandemic.

More than 20 questions exploring more than a dozen topical issues were put to the leaders of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Andrew Holness, and the People’s National Party (PNP), Dr Peter Phillips, in the third and final debate of the 2020 general election series organised by the JDC.

Issues on COVID-19 featured from both questioners, Dionne Jackson Miller and George Davis.  There were also questions raised on the past and future use of states of emergency, education, accountability in government, the impact of climate change matters of the economy, the constitution, a digital economy, crime and violence, reform of the police force and even approaches to stemming the country’s brain drain.

There were 19 direct questions, three follow-up questions, and two questions posed by the leaders to each other.

The debate, like the two others earlier in the week, was live on more than ten radio and television stations in Jamaica as well as via cable in 18 Caribbean countries and also on cable in the Tri-States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in the United States of America. 

The Jamaica Debates Commission is a partnership of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and Media Association Jamaica.